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3rd out of 71 books
—
122 voters
The Maze of Bones (The 39 Clues #1)
by
Rick Riordan
Minutes before she died Grace Cahill changed her will, leaving her decendants an impossible decision: You have a choice - one million dollars or a clue.
...more
Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Napoleon to Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family power is lost. 39 clues hidden around the world will r
Hardcover, 220 pages
Published
October 1st 2008
by Scholastic Press
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Book one of The 39 Clues: The Maze of Bones, by author Rick Riordan, is an exciting young readers adventure book that will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat. Well, your toilet seat, because the only place worth reading this book is while you're on the porcelain throne.
Amy and Dan Cahill are typical squabbling siblings who believe one another are the most annoying brother and sister in the world. However, that all changes when they get summoned to their mega-rich grandma Grace's funeral,...more
Amy and Dan Cahill are typical squabbling siblings who believe one another are the most annoying brother and sister in the world. However, that all changes when they get summoned to their mega-rich grandma Grace's funeral,...more
Grace Cahill changed her will moments before she died. For Amy and Dan, the loss of Grace, their grandmother, is a terribly sad event. They will miss their weekends spending time at the family mansion hearing stories of Grace’s past adventures and exploring the many rooms.
After the funeral, certain family members are invited to the reading of the will. Amy and Dan are included. Everyone is anxious to find out what their inheritance will be. No one expects what happens. Everyone is given a choice...more
After the funeral, certain family members are invited to the reading of the will. Amy and Dan are included. Everyone is anxious to find out what their inheritance will be. No one expects what happens. Everyone is given a choice...more
12 likes · like · see review
Reads like Luke W. was the ghostwriter. (Which means it's really good!) Starts with a bang!
I read this one pretty quickly, as it is definitely a page-turner. My expectations may have been excessively high, due to the fact that I like Rick Riordan and I've heard so much buzz about Scholastic's hope to keep themselves big in the post-Harry Potter market with this new "multi-platform" series (books, trading cards, internet game, and cash prizes). I'm giving this four stars and not five for the fact...more
I read this one pretty quickly, as it is definitely a page-turner. My expectations may have been excessively high, due to the fact that I like Rick Riordan and I've heard so much buzz about Scholastic's hope to keep themselves big in the post-Harry Potter market with this new "multi-platform" series (books, trading cards, internet game, and cash prizes). I'm giving this four stars and not five for the fact...more
9 likes · like · see review
Well, I've read MOST of it. The ARC is missing the ending. Scholastic did that on purpose because it is all part of the game, the cards, etc.
What I read was fun, but not amazing. It appears to be an Amazing Race sort of book --- a bunch of different groups all chasing around the world for clues that will solve a big mystery. This first one sets things up. Two kids (younger boy is a gaming/computer guy while the older sister is a shy bookworm) and their au pair (just happens to know the right la...more
What I read was fun, but not amazing. It appears to be an Amazing Race sort of book --- a bunch of different groups all chasing around the world for clues that will solve a big mystery. This first one sets things up. Two kids (younger boy is a gaming/computer guy while the older sister is a shy bookworm) and their au pair (just happens to know the right la...more
7 likes · like · see review
I've signed up for an online account, and am told I am a Lucien. Let the hunt begin. One of my 7th grade teachers read aloud the first chapter to her 130 students on Friday. Guess how many requests I have for the book now?
I finished the book last night, have entered one set of cards and unlocked my first clue, and have mastered the first five tasks the online game has presented to me. I wanted to be able to answer student questions about how to play or what was required. I plan to raffle off (fo...more
I finished the book last night, have entered one set of cards and unlocked my first clue, and have mastered the first five tasks the online game has presented to me. I wanted to be able to answer student questions about how to play or what was required. I plan to raffle off (fo...more
9 likes · like · see review
My review copy of The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (Scholastic, 2008) came with 6 game cards embedded in the cover. After musing about how this would work in the public library, it occurred to me to read John Mason’s accompanying letter – library editions, of course, will feature reinforced binding and NO game cards.
Game cards? Yes, this is one of those “it’s a book! And a trading-card game! And an online game!” multi-platform series thingies. There will be ten books (outlined by Rick Riordan a...more
Game cards? Yes, this is one of those “it’s a book! And a trading-card game! And an online game!” multi-platform series thingies. There will be ten books (outlined by Rick Riordan a...more
If you liked The Westing Game, Chasing Vermeer and enjoyed the movie National Treasure, this book will at the very least not put you to sleep. But if you're looking for a piece of kids' fiction that will knock your socks off the way Harry Potter knocked most of our socks off, this ain't it.
This is the first in a series that publishing house Scholastic hopes will buoy its financial success along after the conclusion of the Harry Potter series. If only this book were nearly as complex, well-writt...more
This is the first in a series that publishing house Scholastic hopes will buoy its financial success along after the conclusion of the Harry Potter series. If only this book were nearly as complex, well-writt...more
Since this one comes with games and such and I anticipate a lot of students reading it, I feel obligated to read it. Not that there isn't some interesting stuff in the book -- some of the history can lead to further interest from the readers, but there are also so many issues: full of cliches, flat/cardboard characters, easy-ways-out without intricate patterns, and remarkably draggy for this type of supposedly fast-paced, action-packed thriller. So far, some kids really enjoyed it and yet I also...more
4 likes · like · see review
Feb 22, 2010
Eliza fuller
is currently reading it
i am on chapter twelve and i am at the part where they are following iriana in paris and they have found the headquarters of one of the branches in there family.
4 likes · like · see review
Sep 20, 2008
melanie (lit*chick)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommended to melanie (lit*chick) by:
school librarian
Shelves:
childrens-lit
The school librarian mentioned this to me, and I decided to see what the fuss was about. My tendancy is to run away from books with slick marketing ploys, but I'll probably get caught up in the madness anyhow. Just like that darn Twilight series.
after finishing:
I think this will be a neat series for older elementary readers. It's got a lot going on, but isn't hard to read. And it is fun for the parents to get involved too.
reminds me of the movie National Treasure mixed with the show Amazing Race...more
after finishing:
I think this will be a neat series for older elementary readers. It's got a lot going on, but isn't hard to read. And it is fun for the parents to get involved too.
reminds me of the movie National Treasure mixed with the show Amazing Race...more
3 likes · like · see review
If only I were 14 again... Rick Riordan would be my idol. I am excited about this new series, and sure hope that a lot of kids pick this book up and enjoy the new adventure. Riordan had a great idea - an interactive mystery, with prizes even available. If only I could enter....... I love the way he mixes interesting historical facts with a present-day mystery - a mystery that could determine the fate of the whole world! It's kind of like a Da Vinci Code for kids. A very entertaining quick read.
Jan 08, 2011
Stephanie (The Night Bookmobile)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011
I see you there, 39 Clues series, ripping off Harry Potter with your four family branches each represented by an animal. I don't care if this is a children's book; how addictive!
3 likes · like · see review
Rick Riordian is one of my favorite adolescent authors. I thought he did a good job with The Maze of Bones but I’m not as crazy about it as I am his Percy Jackson series.
Parentless Dan and Amy Cahill are from a very famous and wealthy family. When their favorite aunt Grace dies, they are thrown into a race across the globe after… well… 39 clues that lead to some sort of family secret that will bring world power to the winner.
Some of the things I’m liking about this series: how it explores di...more
Parentless Dan and Amy Cahill are from a very famous and wealthy family. When their favorite aunt Grace dies, they are thrown into a race across the globe after… well… 39 clues that lead to some sort of family secret that will bring world power to the winner.
Some of the things I’m liking about this series: how it explores di...more
Dennis Dao-The 39 Clues Book One The Maze Of Bones-220 Pages
As Amy and Dan Cahill's Grandmother Grace died, they have to decide on accepting one milloin dollars from her will or taking on a challenge that can make them the most powerful people in the world. They compete with the Holt family, Ian and Natalie Kabra, superstar singer/actor Jonah Wizard, the annoying Starling triplets, a former Russian spy named Irina Spasky, and "Uncle" Alistair Oh. Their firet clue leads them to the library where...more
As Amy and Dan Cahill's Grandmother Grace died, they have to decide on accepting one milloin dollars from her will or taking on a challenge that can make them the most powerful people in the world. They compete with the Holt family, Ian and Natalie Kabra, superstar singer/actor Jonah Wizard, the annoying Starling triplets, a former Russian spy named Irina Spasky, and "Uncle" Alistair Oh. Their firet clue leads them to the library where...more
1 like · like · see review
I was impressed with the first book in the "39 Clues" series.
I thought that it was going to just be a non-stop action adventure book for boys but it turns out to be something more.
The first book in the series "The Maze of Bones" is written by Rick Riordan, the author of the very popular Lightening Thief series. And each book following will be written by an acclaimed junior fiction author; Gordon Korman has penned the second in the series.
What I enjoyed is the amount of history, archaeology and...more
I thought that it was going to just be a non-stop action adventure book for boys but it turns out to be something more.
The first book in the series "The Maze of Bones" is written by Rick Riordan, the author of the very popular Lightening Thief series. And each book following will be written by an acclaimed junior fiction author; Gordon Korman has penned the second in the series.
What I enjoyed is the amount of history, archaeology and...more
I can't decide fully how much I liked this book. It really depends on the rest of the series. It was fun to read. It was very much like National Treasure though, which I do love.
These relatives of a deceased woman are put up to a challenge that could make them the most powerful of their family...or of the world...
It was a bit annoying...and this could be a little bit of a spoiler (so sorry if this bugs you...but I don't think it gives much away)....at how often when Amy and Dan found clues anot...more
These relatives of a deceased woman are put up to a challenge that could make them the most powerful of their family...or of the world...
It was a bit annoying...and this could be a little bit of a spoiler (so sorry if this bugs you...but I don't think it gives much away)....at how often when Amy and Dan found clues anot...more
3 likes · like · see review
The only family member that ever cared about you just died and now you have a choice - one million dollars of inheritance or a single clue. The clues will lead you to the source of the family power which has been lost.... Or carefully hidden, either way, the path to becoming the most powerful person in history will test your knowledge, your personal courage, and your heart. Which would you choose?
If you liked national treasure you'll love this book!
If you liked national treasure you'll love this book!
Supposedly the next "Harry Potter" according to the publishers, I got the book at the book fair and began reading it to my 4th graders. It definately reads like it is written as a screen play, not a novel. I hear a movie, action figures, etc. are in the works. The characters are flat and unlikeable, the plot was difficult to follow, and the clues weren't even remotely close to anything a grade school kid could figure out. Add to the fact that the first few clues were in France with tons of Frenc...more
Jan 17, 2009
Phillip Sawyer
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
4th-7th grade boys, history lovers, treasure hunters,
Shelves:
youth
I read this book to my 3rd grade son who ate it up. He's a big fan of the film "National Treasure" and this book follows the vein of that plot- an around the world treasure hunt through history.
Following the death of their rich grandmother Grace, siblings Amy and Dan Cahill race around the world to gather the 39 clues before their extended family members can find them. Lots of action, stereotypical character development, and fun historical scavenger hunt through the life of Ben Franklin. This i...more
Following the death of their rich grandmother Grace, siblings Amy and Dan Cahill race around the world to gather the 39 clues before their extended family members can find them. Lots of action, stereotypical character development, and fun historical scavenger hunt through the life of Ben Franklin. This i...more
I was neither disappointed nor impressed with this book. My cynical self wondered how good the story could be if you need books, trading cards, and the internet to tell it; my Rick Riordan fan self just said, yay! The plot is quite engaging, if DaVinci Code-esque (or rather, The Eight-esque, but I digress). I'll read another one or two to see how the different authors affects the storytelling. The concept reminds me of Click and it will be interesting to compare the two. I haven't gone online...more
1 like · like · see review
The 39 Clues is a series of books that just began a few months ago. Scholastic, which published the Harry Potter series, concocted this series. Rather than turn the whole series over to a single author, it contracted with several prominent teen-lit authors. It also wisely retained all the marketing rights.
The first book is by Rick Riordan, who wrote the Percy Jackson series. I enjoy Riordan's writing, but felt like this was watered down and aimed at 8-year-olds. I prefer the books that are pitch...more
The first book is by Rick Riordan, who wrote the Percy Jackson series. I enjoy Riordan's writing, but felt like this was watered down and aimed at 8-year-olds. I prefer the books that are pitch...more
Nice read, but Mr. Riordan is far way better when he writes on his own rather than following a pubbed house guidelines. Loved Percy Jackson way better than this one. It lacks the humor, I guess. Or it's more subtle in this case.
Anyway, fun read for kids, throws them into reading and into searching for clues. Which isn't bad.
Anyway, fun read for kids, throws them into reading and into searching for clues. Which isn't bad.
This was an AWESOME book! Rick Riordan is one of my favorite authors and he definitely comes through on this one. I felt like the effort to come up with "witty" clues fell a little short, as I was expecting a large, challenging puzzle that wouldn't be revealed for quite a long time, much like the Spy X series. Unfortunately, it seemed as if Amy or Dan or someone with them (Nellie, Allstair Oh, etc.) instantly knew the answer. Most of this book was focused on the action from getting from place to...more
1 like · like · see review
This book is incredible, if you like mysteries read it. i've also read the 2d one to. they are both fantastic and i'm waiting for the 3rd!
1 like · like · see review
Parents, get your kids involved in this series! It is a mystery, a spy thriller, and a covertly educational choice for them. It has cross appeal for so many genre's, plus the online gaming appeal. The book is cleverly written, the educational stuff so discreetly tucked into the text that I didn't realize I was learning anything until a day later when I used a piece of trivia from this book in conversation! Boys, girls and adults who are kids at heart, this book is an entertaining read. There wil...more
A kids version of National Treasure! This is the first in a series of 10 books. But no long wait since they're using different authors and the next is due out in December. Rick Riordan (of Percy Jackson fame) wrote the first one and was involved in the developing the overall story arc. Very easy to read and entertaining. Finally a young girl leading the way! And of course I'm playing along online to find the treasure! There are trading cards also which come with clues. Since the clues are design...more
I read this book because I had started the author's other series and though I should check this one out. I started this while doing my laundry and could NOT put it down. I ended up staying at the laundromat well past the time my clothes should have come out of the dryer just so I could finish this book.
I would call this a mash-up of the DaVinci Code, National Treasure, and every book about families and secret wills with a dash of Artemis Fowl and Charlie Bone thrown in. Two children, upon the de...more
I would call this a mash-up of the DaVinci Code, National Treasure, and every book about families and secret wills with a dash of Artemis Fowl and Charlie Bone thrown in. Two children, upon the de...more
This is a first - I'm giving the review both for the book and its companion website, since you can hardly talk about the book without the game.
The concept behind the 39 Clues series is very interesting - Rick Riordan wrote the first book of a ten-book arc, and will plan the entire arc. Other writers will write other books in the series. The series has a companion website with a game, trading cards, and a real-life contest for real prizes. On the website, players are informed that they belong to...more
The concept behind the 39 Clues series is very interesting - Rick Riordan wrote the first book of a ten-book arc, and will plan the entire arc. Other writers will write other books in the series. The series has a companion website with a game, trading cards, and a real-life contest for real prizes. On the website, players are informed that they belong to...more
When Grace Cahill changes her will right before she dies, she tells her remaining family that they can each receive $1 million or an adventure of a lifetime to discover the secrets of their family tree and powerful history. Eleven year old Dan and his sister, fourteen year old Amy know that their Grandma Grace would want them to chose the adventure. Now they are fighting for their lives against other unlikeable members of their family, finding clues and solving mysteries.
There will be 10 books...more
There will be 10 books...more
Dan and Amy had always felt that they were Grandma Grace’s favorites. Ever since their parents had died, she’d always had time to spend with them. She appreciated their gifts and always encouraged their creativity. When she passed, Dan and Amy were deeply saddened. All the relatives showed up at the funeral but really they were all just hoping to get a piece of Grace’s vast fortune.
Grace being a rather unique woman herself, arranged to have the last word. After the funeral, a group of the relat...more
Grace being a rather unique woman herself, arranged to have the last word. After the funeral, a group of the relat...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percy Jackson Fan...: The 39 Clues, Book 1; Maze of Bones | 25 | 49 | May 21, 2013 01:19am | |
| Is this a good series? | 35 | 62 | May 15, 2013 06:58pm | |
| What age? | 9 | 33 | Apr 23, 2013 03:18pm | |
| Is this a good series? | 65 | 87 | Apr 23, 2013 01:48pm | |
| movie or series | 14 | 48 | Oct 20, 2012 03:11pm | |
| 39 clues series feedback | 14 | 64 | Apr 04, 2012 06:34am | |
| 39 clues | 1 | 14 | Oct 21, 2011 09:48am |
Born: June 5, 1964
Place of Birth: San Antonio, TX
Education: Attended Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio. Worked as an editor for the school newspaper and won third place in state for UIL feature writing. Also got in trouble for publishing an underground newspaper that made fun of the school, especially the losing football team. (The football team later egged my car). Began college at North T...more
More about Rick Riordan...
Place of Birth: San Antonio, TX
Education: Attended Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio. Worked as an editor for the school newspaper and won third place in state for UIL feature writing. Also got in trouble for publishing an underground newspaper that made fun of the school, especially the losing football team. (The football team later egged my car). Began college at North T...more
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9 trivia questions
12 quizzes
More quizzes & trivia...
12 quizzes
“She led the way. Eyeless sockets of the dead seemed to stare at them as they passed.
"These are cool," Dan decided. "Maybe I could-"
"No, Dan," Amy said. "You can't collect human bones."
"Awww.”
—
121 people liked it
"These are cool," Dan decided. "Maybe I could-"
"No, Dan," Amy said. "You can't collect human bones."
"Awww.”
“I've got a few ideas," (Amy) admitted. "But I don't know where we're going in the long term. I mean - have you ever thought about what this ultimate treasure could be?"
"Something cool." (Dan)
"Oh, that's real helpful. I mean, what could make somebody the most powerful Cahill in history? And why thirty-nine clues?"
Dan shrugged. "Thirty-nine is a sweet number. It's thirteen times three. It's also the sum of five prime numbers in a row - 3,5,7,11,13. And if you add the first three powers of three, 3 to the first, 3 to the second, and s to the third, you get thirty-nine."
Amy stared at him. "How did you know that?"
"What do you mean? It's obvious.”
—
88 people liked it
More quotes…
"Something cool." (Dan)
"Oh, that's real helpful. I mean, what could make somebody the most powerful Cahill in history? And why thirty-nine clues?"
Dan shrugged. "Thirty-nine is a sweet number. It's thirteen times three. It's also the sum of five prime numbers in a row - 3,5,7,11,13. And if you add the first three powers of three, 3 to the first, 3 to the second, and s to the third, you get thirty-nine."
Amy stared at him. "How did you know that?"
"What do you mean? It's obvious.”
Dec 01, 2012 02:58pm
Feb 26, 2013 07:43pm